WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — On Sunday, the four Little League World Series games will start earlier than usual — including a 9 a.m. opener — because the big leaguers will be in town.
All 20 LLWS teams — coaches, players and guests — will be attending the Major League Baseball game played between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers (7 p.m.) from Journey Bank Ballpark at historical Bowman Field, also in Williamsport.
Before the Yankees and Tigers square off, members of both MLB teams will be watching the games from both Lamade and Volunteer Fields, as well as participating in other activities. Additionally, members of the Commissioner’s Ambassador Program (CAP) will be in attendance to celebrate this year’s occasion. Former Major Leaguers include Nick Swisher, Dellin Betances, Adam Jones, Jed Lowrie and Jason Kendall.
If Salem defeats Newtown, Pa., on Saturday night, their following game will be Sunday at 1 p.m., right in the middle of the festivities with the MLB players.
“If we make it to Sunday, it would be incredible, because that’s when the Major League teams will come and be watching,” said Salem manager Dan DeFrancisco. “That would be such an experience for the kids to be playing with Major League players in the stands with the other fans.”
DeFrancesco explained that each player gets to bring two guests and each coach gets to bring one guest.
“We go as a team. It’s a really small stadium. It’s just all about the kids being up and close to the Major Leaguers. The kids are just absolutely thrilled about going. They have all been getting their baseball cards ready with hopes of getting them signed by the Major League players,” he said.
Salem assistant coach John Lozowski is a big New York Yankees fan, while 11-year-old pitcher/infielder Owen Griffin has said that his favorite player is Jazz Chisholm, who the Yankees acquired in a trade last month.
Getting to know Newtown
On Saturday night, Salem and Newtown will square off, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s game and losing team eliminated from further play. On Thursday night, Newtown suffered a tough 9-0 loss to an outstanding team from Boerne, Texas. Standing among the thousands of fans on the famous hill at Lamade Field was Scott Murphy, who resides in Tamaqua, Pa. He has consistently made the trip to the Little League World Series for well over a decade, first coming when he was in his early 20s.
“I remember when I attended Penn State, a bunch of us would take the one hour drive over here to watch a game or two,” he said. “Off and on, I’d say it’s been 10 years or so that I’ve been coming. I’ve seen a lot and it’s just been so much fun. I was here when Denny Almonte pitched and when Mo’ne Davis pitched. That was an absolute madhouse, but it was obviously iconic. When Almonte pitched, you couldn’t move, it was so jammed-packed.”
The 41-year-old Insurance Broker said that when it comes to the entire Williamsport complex, there’s absolutely nothing like it.
“The idea of the venue and what it represents in how youth sports is concerned I think is invaluable,” said Murphy. “We were talking on the drive out of how lucky we are to have this place right here in our own state. In Eastern Pennsylvania there’s attractions obviously, but this just has a different feel and it’s such enriched history.”
Standing a couple feet in front of Murphy, was Jim DeFrancesco, who immediately pointed out that the spelling of his last name is the same as the Salem manager Dan DeFrancesco. Jim dropped off his daughter at college at Bloomsburg University and on the way back decided to stop in to catch a game or two. Back in 1980, his little league team lost in the state final.
“We love coming here,” he said. “This is such a big event. I have a guy who I work with, who takes his two weeks of vacation every year and sits in front of his television and watches the whole thing,” said Jim.
Odds and Ends
Thursday night’s game between Texas and Pennsylvania was certainly incredible, between the 15,000 plus fans, the countless kids sliding down the famous hill out past the fences of Lamade Field and two blistering home runs off the bats of Boerne players, Kole Newson with a grand slam and the next batter Caden Guffey, well past the left field fence.
Going into the bottom of the fourth inning, a “light show” was displayed. Unfortunately Salem’s game on Saturday will be at Volunteer Field.
On Thursday, in the United States bracket, besides Southwest (Texas) defeating Mid-Atlantic (Pennsylvania.), 9-0, Mountain (Henderson, Nev.) defeated Metro (Staten Island, N.Y.), 9-1. In early action on Friday, team West (Hawaii) improved to 2-0 with a 5-0 win over Great Lakes (Hinsdale, Illinois).
In the International bracket, on Thursday, Japan defeated Puerto Rico, 10-0 and Cuba defeated Europe-Africa 3-1. In Friday’s early action, Latin America blanked Mexico, 10-0.